Track transit assembly



March 12, 1963 w. F. OLLIFF 3,080,555

TRACK TRANSIT ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 15, 1957 FIG-.8

INVENTORI WILLIAM F. OLLIFF ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,98il,656 TRACK TRANSET ASSEMBLY William F. Gllifi, 3165 Ardly Road, SW., Atlanta 11, Ga. Filed Aug. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 678,336 9 (Iiaims. (Ql. 33-439) This invention relates to a track transit assembly, and is particularly concerned with means for making surveys of elevation and azimuth in connection with the construction, maintenance, or repair or" railroad tracks.

in operations of the character referred to, it is customary to utilize standard surveying instruments in determining elevations and curvatures. Such instruments include transits, theodolites or like sighting means, together with rods and targets, as well as chains, stakes, and markers. "the surveying party usually includes an instrument man and a rod man as well as such chainmen and stake-men as may be required for the particular operation. Obviously, such procedures are expensive as to both equipment and personnel; furthermore, the mathematical calculations involved are time consuming and tedious.

The present invention provides means for the simplification of the techniques involved, the reduction of personnel required, and apparatus which is less intricate, less delicate and less expensive than that heretofore available. By this apparatus the surveying operation may be handled by a single operator to directly determine the proper disposition of a rail in azimuth and elevation, so as to effect either a straight and level line of track, a curved level track of predetermined are, or a straight track or" predetermined slope.

structurally, that form of the invention which is here set forth by way oi example may be generally defined as including a suitably mounted sighting member together with a reflecting surface in the line of vision from said sightin and one or more track engaging targets. More specifics i the structure includes a base member having a telescope mounting which presents the telescope eyepiece at a convenient level for a standing operator and directs the line of vision toward a mirror mounted at, or adjacent, the rail level. The angularity between the line of vision from the telescope and the mirror is equal to the angular setting of the mirror with respect to the rails, and thus, the trajectory of the reflected line of vision will be in a straight horizontal path parallel to the rail. An important feature of the invention is the provision of target blocks which may be placed as desired straddle fashion over the rails and magnetically secured thereto to prevent inadvertent movement. These blocks are disposed along the track at member and are adapted to support scales which may be inserted vertically or horizontally therein. The arrangement is such that should the targets affirzed to the rail be out of the line of vision of the telescope, scales may be inserted into the targets to extend into the line of vision so that a single operator at the telescope may readily determine the relation of the rail or target with respect to such line of vision.

In railroad construction and maintenance, crtain shriplified techniques for slope and curvature determinations have been developed, as for instance, the use of the fact that a chord, of 61.6 feet in len th which subtends an are having a 5,730 feet radius will have an ordinate of one nch and that the radius of the are halves for each one no: increase in the ordinate of an equal length of chord. It is therefore found that such suitable simplified approximations may be utilized in the application of the present invention to surfacing and lining railroad track by securing wires or chains of equal length between the sighting base and targets. in this manner, determination of either the straight or curved disposition of level track with respect to the base track may be made by sighting to a tarspaced distances from the base v, assatss Patented Mar. 12, 1%53 get a predetermined distance away and reading deviations from indicia on the telescope eyepiece or from a scale associated with the target. In a like manner, determination of slope or curvature may be made by sighting to an end target and noting where the line of sight passes by a scale associated with an intermediate target.

From the foregoing, it will be readily seen that it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel simple, and improved visual means for determining the relative disposition of track as to both elevation and azimuth.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sighting means for use in railroad track construction and maintenance by which a line of vision having a trajectory of both horizontal and transverse straight line characteristics may be projected adjacent the rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transit for use in railroad construction and maintenance by which a line of vision adjacent the track and generally parallel thereto may be reflected to and magnified at a convenient location at the normal eye level of an operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a target for rail transits which may be magnetically secured to a rail at a suitable location and which may be conveniently dislodged from such magnetic attachment for relocation.

lt is also an object of the invention to provide in combination with an angular rail transit device, a plurality of interrelated targets which may be conveniently maintained in predetermined spaced relationship.

The invention also includes as an obiective that of providing a scale for rail construction and maintenance work including means for supporting the scale in horizontal or vertical position so as to intercept the line of vision from a fixed zero setting whereby the relative disposition of a rail at a distant spot may be determined.

Numerous other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the ac cornoanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one form of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the transit of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

PEG. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the targets of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4 with the rail removed therefrom;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the targets having a scale inserted vertically therein;

FIG. 7 is a similar view of the target having the scale inserted horizontally therein; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the scale alone.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the transit unit of the assembly, in the embodiment here shown by way of example, includes an elongate base member 1% adapted to be disposed in inverted U-shaped fashion over a conventional railroad rail indicated at 11 whereby its sides 12 will be disposed on either side of the rail. It will be noted that, since the sides 12 are spaced a distance not less than the width of the rail tread, the base may be readily applied and removed by simple vertical movement with respect to the rail. However, for securing the base in fixed position on the rail, magnetic insert pieces 14 are mounted in the under face thereof whereby the base will be detachably secured by magnetic force.

The upper face 15 of the base is formed with an inclined internally threaded boss 16 which is adapted to mount a standard 17 by means of the threaded connection 18. The upper end of the standard 17 is reduced to form a central fiat apertured leaf 19. The leaf 19 receives on each side thereof the lower terminal furcations 20 of a pivotal standard extension 21. A pivot bolt and wing nut assembly 22 provides for retention of angular adjustment between standard 17 and its extension 21. The outer end of standard extension 21 is hollow as at 23 and thus provides for the slidable reception therein of a telescope support rod 24. The longitudinal location of the rod 24 with respect to the standard extension 21 may be secured by means of screw 25 extending through a tapped boss 26 at the outer, upper end of the standard extension. In normal operation, the standard extension 21 is in line with standard 17 and thus usually at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the base 10 and rail 11 upon which it is mounted. At the outer free end of the telescope support rod 24 there is provided a telescope bracket 30 having keyways as at 31 which receive the inner key edges 32 of a conventional telescope mounting base 33, providing for the removable mounting of the telescope 34. It will be apparent, therefore, that this arrangement is such that the telescope is normally positioned in convenient location for observation therethrough by the rail foreman while in a normal standing position.

Above the upper face 15 of the base 10, forwardly of the standard 17, there is provided a reflective element or mirror indicated at 36 which is supported by a boss 37. With the standard 17, the extension 21 and the telescope itself at an angle to the rail of 45 degrees, the mirror 36 is disposed at an angle of 22.5 degrees with respect to the base 10 and the rail 11 so as to provide a straight line of sight along the rail as required by some applications of the present invention.

For use with the transit unit'of the present invention, there are provided one or more targets or sight blocks 40 which are seatable on the rail 11 in inverted U-fashion with their legs 41 bearing against the sides of the rail in a manner similar to the base 10. As more clearly indicated in FIG. 5, magnetic inserts 42 are imbedded in the underside of the targets and the inner face of the legs so as to removably retain the same at a set position on the rail. In order to locate the targets at predetermined spaced intervals, wires or steel cables 43 may be secured to the targets as by welding. Where an arrangement of two or more targets is used as shown in FIG. 1, the end of the cable is welded or otherwise attached to the base 10 as at 44. The cable extends therefrom to be secured to the intermediate target at the bottom of a longitudinal slot 45 to extend therethrough to the terminal target Preferably, the height of the targets is such that when seated on straight and level rail, their top surfaces willbe in a plane approximately at the center of the mirror 36 so that a line of sight through the telescope reflected from the mirror will include the top surfaces of the targets. In such an application, the conventional hairline indicia of the telescope will provide a determination of variations in elevation and azimuth of the target blocks. However, where the elevation of the rail at the targets deviates from that of the rail at the base 10 by a substantial amount or where a deviation in azimuth is in excess of the field of vision of the telescope, a scale is provided for removable attachment to any selected one of said targets to extend the range of operation. This is accomplished in the present form of the invention by providing the target blocks with transverse slots 51 adapted 'to receive the lower end 52 of a scale 53. As shown in FIG. 8, the scale 53 may be fully removed from the tar gets. When the scale is to be applied vertically, its lower end 52 is inserted in the transverse slot 51. To retain the scale in vertical position, there is provided at its lower end 52 a vertically extending rib 54 which is received in longitudinal slot 45 as shown in FIG. 6. By so positioning the scale, the indicia thereon will be visible at the telescope when the target bearing rail is considerably below the plane of the rail at the position of the base 19. Similarly, the lower end of the scale is provided with a transverse rib 55 which may be received within the longitudinal slot 45 as indicated in FIG. 7. By this arrangernent, the scale will be in the line of sight of the telescope although the target is considerably displaced in azimuth from the line of the rail at the position of the base 10. Since the transverse rib 55 extends fully across the scale 53, it will be seen that the scale may be arranged for securement in the target blocks to extend outwardly therefrom in either direction. While as indicated in FIG. 8, the scale is shown as being provided with appropriate scale marks or indicia on that side from which the ribs 54 and 55 extend, it will be understood that the scale may be arranged to face in either direction. Thus, scale marks or indicia may be applied to both sides of the scale and the scale may be inserted with either face toward the line of vision. Obviously, the ribs may be on both sides of the scale if so desired.

When a line of track is to be laid, repaired, or maintained in a generally straight and level condition, the base 10 may be seated at a known straight and level position in the track constituting a zero setting, with the standard 17 and mirror 36 fixed as indicated to project a straight level line of sight. If one or more targets are then seated along the rail, the top surface of the targets will be visible through the telescope and slight deviations will be readable by the usual hairline indicia of the telescope. Should deviations be vertically downward in excess of that which is in the line of vision, a scale may be inserted in the manner of FIG. 6 and the deviation may be read by directly viewing the scale as it stands vertically in the target. Should the deviation in azimuth be greater than is encompassed in the field of the telescope, the scale may be placed in the manner of FIG. 7 to extend laterally from the target into the line of vision so that the deviation may be read directly from the target scale.

As to the application of the apparatus of the present invention where a line of track is to be laid, repaired, or maintained with a substantial slope or curvature, the base 10 may be seated on the rail along with a plurality of targets, all of which are separated a predetermined distance as by the cables 43. If the telescope is then adjusted to sight through to an end target, the amount of slope can be determined by reading from a scale associated with one of the intermediate targets, a value of ordinate may be obtained which can be used in arc approximations as heretofore discussed.

In some instances it may be desirable to sight the telescope at remotely distant points or at substantial elevations out of the range of the targets. For this purpose the extension 21 may be pivotally adjusted to a generally horizontal position shown by the dotted lines of FIG. 1, the assembly 22 providing for the retention of the extension at such angularity as may be desired. With this use of the scope a plumb bob may be desired. An aperturcd boss 60 is therefore provided on the extension 24 to which a bob may be secured as indicated in FIG. 7.

It will be understood that in the practice of the invention numerous changes, modifications, and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scope of the appended claims. It is to be further understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the manner of use herein presented by way of example, but those skilled in the art will find many and various manners of use not herein set forth.

I claim:

1. A track transit assembly including a sighting means adapted to be supported at a fixed location on a railroad rail, and at least one target adapted to be positioned on the same rail, means for positioning and maintaining said target a fixed distance from said sighting means, together with base means for magnetically securing said target to the rail at its fixed distance from said sighting means, said base means being of such configuration with respect to the rail as to retain said target in alignment with the rail while being slid therealong.

2. A track transit assembly including a sighting means adapted to be supported at a fixed location on a railroad rail, and at least one target adapted to be positioned on the same rail, means for positioning and maintaining said target a fixed distance from said sighting means, together with base means for magnetically securing said sighting means and said target at preselected positions on said rail, said base means being of such configuration with respect to the rail as to retain said sighting means and said target in alignment with the rail while being slid therealong.

3. A track transit assembly including a telescopic sighting means adapted to be mounted in a fixed position with respect to a railroad rail, reflecting means adjacent the upper surface of said rail for sighting said telescopic means along the upper surface of said rail, targets adapted to be located on said rail at predetermined distances from said reflecting means, a scale mounted by one of said targets for selective extension therefrom in a vertical or horizontal direction, and flexible means of predetermined length interconnecting said sighting means and said target.

4. A track transit including a base adapted to be supported upon a railroad rail, a standard aligned with said rail and extending upwardly in an inclined direction from said base, telescopic sighting means carried by said standard in parallel relationship thereto, and a reflector mounted on said base for reflecting a line of vision along the rail to said telescopic sighting means, said standard having pivotally adjustable means to vary the inclination of the telescope with respect to said base.

5. A track transit including a base adapted to be supported upon a railroad rail, a standard extending upwardly in an inclined direction from said base, an extension pivotally mounted thereon, telescopic sighting means carried by said extension in parallel relationship thereto, a reflec tor on said base arranged to reflect a line of vision along the rail to said telescopic sighting means.

6. A track transit including a base adapted to be supported upon a railroad rail, a standard extending upwardly in an inclined direction from said base, an extension pivotally mounted thereon, telescopic sighting means carried by said extension, a reflector on said base adjacent the upper surface of said rail arranged to reflect a line of vision along the rail to said telescopic sighting means, together with base means for releasably securing said base to a rail, said base means including magnets so positioned with respect to the rail as to permit said base to be slid along the rail.

7. A target for railroad surveying including an inverted U-shaped body, magnetic means for securing said body in a fixed straddled position over a railroad rail, said body defining a transverse slot for the reception of a scale in vertical and horizontal position for support by said body, a scale mounted in said body, and means for retaining said scale in fixed relation to said body.

8. A track transit assembly including mounting means adapted to be movabiy positioned on a railroad rail, a telescopic sighting means mounted on and wholly supported by said mounting means, reflecting means mounted on and wholly supported by said mounting means for sighting said telescopic means along said rail, a target adapted to be located on said rail at a predetermined distance from said reflecting means, flexible means of a predetermined length interconnecting said sighting means and said target, and means wholly supported by said rail and supporting said target, said last mentioned means frictionally engaging said rail so that it is dragged along said rail by said flexible means when said mounting means is moved along said rail.

9. A track transit assembly including mounting means adapted to be movably positioned on a railroad rail, a telescopic sighting means mounted on and wholly supported by said mounting means, reflecting means mounted on and wholly supported by said mounting means for sighting said telescopic means along said rail, a target adapted to be located on said rail at a predetermined distance from said reflecting means, flexible means of a predetermined length interconnecting said sighting means and said target means wholly supported by said rail and supporting said target, said last mentioned means frictionally engaging said rail so that it is dragged along said rail by said flexible means when said mounting means is moved along said rail, and a scale carried by said target.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,640 Brown Sept. 11, 1906 1,124,247 Aldridge Jan. 12, 1915 2,142,472 Funk Jan. 3, 1939 2,763,932 McMillan Sept. 25, 1956 2,795,853 Benfield et a1. June 18, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 415,723 Germany June 29, 1925 417,788 Germany Aug. 18, 1925 547,995 Germany Apr. 13, 1932 409,365 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1934 495,455 Italy June 15, 1954 190,083 Austria June 11, 1957 

1. A TRACK TRANSIT ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SIGHTING MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED AT A FIXED LOCATION ON A RAILROAD RAIL, AND AT LEAST ONE TARGET ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON THE SAME RAIL, MEANS FOR POSITIONING AND MAINTAINING SAID TARGET A FIXED DISTANCE FROM SAID SIGHTING MEANS, TOGETHER WITH BASE MEANS FOR MAGNETICALLY SECURING SAID TARGET TO THE RAIL AT ITS FIXED DISTANCE FROM SAID SIGHTING MEANS, SAID BASE MEANS BEING OF SUCH CONFIGURATION WITH RESPECT TO THE RAIL AS TO RETAIN SAID TARGET IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RAIL WHILE BEING SLID THEREALONG. 